When you watch an East Coast Power 13U game in the Philly Select League, one player immediately stands out — literally.
Niko Vargas is impossible to miss. Whether he’s in the dugout or on the field, the Maternity BVM rising eighth grader towers over most players and carries himself like someone far older.
His physical traits caught the attention of assistant coach Kevin Schnieder.
“He’s definitely advanced. The physicality of his game is different,” Schnieder said. “He’s strong, he’s fast-twitch, and his baseball IQ and approach are much more advanced.”
Then Schnieder took it a step further.
“He has the baseball IQ of an upper-level high school guy, but he’s someone who just finished seventh grade,” Schnieder said. “He has the physical tools, but his approach and IQ are advanced, and that’s the biggest difference-maker.”
That approach was on display in the top of the third inning.
Vargas turned on a pitch and smoked a line drive well over the left fielder’s head. From there, he was off to the races, circling the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
“I was looking to hit the ball up the middle and drive in some runs,” Vargas said. “I got my pitch, took a hack at it and hit it well. I just kept my head down and kept running until I was told I was good.”
Vargas finished the game with two hits, four RBIs and two walks in a 12-2 victory.
The swing has been years in the making. Vargas first picked up a bat at age three or four, hitting in the backyard with his stepdad, Nick.
“Hitting off the tee for the first time when I was young was when I knew I wanted to play baseball,” Vargas said.
Schnieder knows talent when he sees it.
He was the head coach at Neumann-Goretti, where he helped the program win its first PIAA state championship in 2016. In doing so, he became the first coach in Philadelphia Catholic League history to win the city, Catholic League and state championships in the same year.
He also served as the head coach at Immaculata University for five years, from 2017 to 2021. His brother, John, manages the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I have seen a lot of good players,” Schnieder said. “He’s young, but he’s got the ability and projects really well.”
For Vargas, the next step isn’t physical. It’s mental.
“He has the physical side down, but all the little things will separate him even more,” Schnieder said. “How he deals with failure, his body language and how he continues to develop all the little things. I want him to keep challenging himself.”
Vargas agrees.
“I definitely want to improve on the mental aspect and have a good attitude,” Vargas said. “In baseball, you always need to have a good attitude. Whenever I do have a failure, I work on staying calm and understanding that there will always be another chance. Baseball is a hard sport to play, but if you go three for 10, you’re still hitting .300.”
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